Eric: Head and Neck Cancer Survivor

Eric Bowles was 16 when he noticed what he thought was a canker sore on the side of his tongue. Over the next month the sore gradually grew, but only bothered him if directly touched. During routine x-rays at the dentist’s office, Eric asked them to be careful since he had a spot on his tongue that was sensitive. The dentist took one look and called an oral surgeon who met with Eric the next day and performed a biopsy of the lesion. Everyone was shocked when the diagnosis came back as squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. Read More

Bill: Melanoma Survivor

Bill Brown went to his primary care doctor and a local hospital in 2011 because he had swollen glands in his armpit. At the time, he made no connection between the discomfort he was feeling and the stage I melanoma lesion that his dermatologist had diagnosed and excised ten years prior. Read More

Jeanne: Pancreatic Cancer Survivor

Jeanne Czel went from enjoying retirement and playing golf in a benefit tournament in North Carolina, to a month later undergoing what would be one of the most difficult years of her life. It started with an uncomfortable feeling in her chest that she attributed to heart burn or acid reflux, although she had never experienced either before. After undergoing blood work, an MRI and a CAT scan, received a diagnosis of stage IV pancreatic cancer. Read More

Luke: Retinoblastoma Survivor

When 14-month-old Luke McDermott was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, his doctor told Luke’s parents that he would try to save the baby’s life, eye and vision. “That’s the order,” he said. “If we have to, we will remove his eye to save his life. Read More

Greg: Breast Cancer Survivor

As a 39 year old man, the last thought on Greg DeMarco’s mind was that he could be diagnosed with breast cancer. He noticed a stain on the shirt he was wearing, and realized it was blood and that it was coming from his left nipple. Worried that something serious might be wrong, he scheduled an appointment with his general practitioner for the next day. They ran several tests, all of which came back normal. Unable to find a cause for the bleeding, Greg was sent for a mammogram where a calcification and a blockage of his duct were found. Read More

Henry: Leukemia Survivor

Jenna and Brendan Baker were faced with the most difficult challenge of their life when their seemingly healthy two year old son was diagnosed with cancer. He went to the pediatrician with a fever that was not responding to the normal remedies. A blood test raised the suspicion for cancer and immediately Henry was sent to the Emergency Department at Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital where doctors confirmed his diagnosis. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Read More

Marjorie: Breast and Cervical Cancer Survivor

Marjorie was diagnosed with Stage 3B cervical cancer and was treated with surgery, radiation and chemotherapy followed by a hysterectomy. Many years later she awoke with a pain in her outer breast. After two mammograms and two ultrasounds, she met Dr. Anees Chagpar, Director of the Breast Center at Smilow Cancer Hospital. Dr. Chagpar told her that there were two masses in the outer side of her right breast. Read More

Maureen Raucci, RN and Cheryl Gans, RN

Patient and Cancer Information

Yale Cancer Center is Connecticut's only cancer center designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute- and one of only 47 in the nation. The significance of this designation has profound implications for those who choose Smilow Cancer Hospital as the place where they will be cared for and receive treatment for their cancer. National Cancer Institute cancer centers are national leaders in cancer research, prevention, detection, and treatment. This provides patients at Smilow Cancer Hospital with novel treatment options and expert care.

Modal Title

How will my information be used?

When you express interest in a specific study, the information from your profile will be sent to the doctor conducting that study. If you're eligible to participate, you may be contacted by a nurse or study coordinator.

If you select a health category rather than a specific study, doctors who have active studies in that area may contact you to ask if you would like to participate.

In both cases, you will be contacted by the preferred method (email or phone) that you specified in your profile.